More snow to fall as wintry showers seen across the UK in ‘first taste of winter’
More snow has been forecast to fall after the coldest night of the season so far brought wintry showers across parts of the UK.
Temperatures dropped to minus 7.8C in Tulloch Bridge, Scotland, in the early hours of Monday, which is the lowest temperature the UK has seen since last winter.
Snow dusted grounds across Scotland in Aberdeenshire, as well as in the Cairngorms. It also blanketed the mountain of Ingleborough, while frost covered berries in bushes near Clapham, in the Yorkshire Dales.
Cold temperatures, ice and further snow feature on the forecast for the coming days in what the Met Office deemed is the country’s “first taste of winter”.
Yellow National Severe Weather Warnings for snow and ice are currently in place from Monday to Wednesday, affecting parts of Scotland, the whole of Northern Ireland, and parts of northern England, north Wales and the north Midlands.
Dan Suri, Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “An area of low pressure slides its way eastwards on Monday night. The associated frontal system, marking the boundary between cold air in the north and milder conditions to the south, will bring disruptive snow to some areas between Monday evening and Tuesday morning.”
The forecasters added that updates to the alerts throughout the week are likely to be issued, as they warned of delays to journeys as a result of the snow.
Rail operators have warned customers that there may be disruption in the coming days.
TransPennine Express have given customers an option to use tickets bought for this evening or tomorrow on Wednesday instead if they wish to change their travel plans due to the forecast. Northern told passengers that Network Rail teams were on standby as they told customers that the weather may cause some disruption.
The Met Office has warned that snow will also likely impact drivers on Tuesday morning on their rush hour commutes - particularly across a central swathe of the UK.
Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued the first amber cold weather health alert of the season and, along with charity Age UK, warned that the conditions could be dangerous for vulnerable people, including the elderly.
The amber warning covers the east and north of England, midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber, with yellow alerts coming into place for the South East, South West and London at 8am on Tuesday, lasting until 6pm on Saturday.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, from the UKHSA, said: “This is the first amber Cold Weather Health Alert of the season, but we can expect more as we approach winter, and it is vital to check in on vulnerable friends, family and neighbours to ensure they are well prepared for the onset of cold weather. Particularly if they are elderly or otherwise at increased risk.”
It is predicted temperatures could drop to minus 2C in London on Friday, minus 4C in Birmingham and minus 7C further north.
There is a possibility of 15-20cm (around 6-7.8in) of snow on ground above 300m (984ft), 5-10cm (around 2-4in) in areas higher than 200m (656ft), with a “chance” that snow could hit lower levels and cause road disruption – although the likelihood of that remains “uncertain”.
